Gu Qinghe shook her head while whispering to herself as if warning herself.
That Fang Ming could make a local thug like Zhu Dahai act like a terrified grandson, could effortlessly help her settle a contract, and could come and go as he pleased in a place like Jinding Entertainment City... Such a person was on a completely different path from a low-level salesperson like her, who had to attend a treacherous dinner while sick just for a thirty-thousand-yuan commission.
Everything tonight was just an accident, a casual favor done out of the friendship mentioned by others.
Having realized this, the subtle ripples in Gu Qinghe's heart gradually calmed, replaced by a more practical anxiety.
She picked up her phone and checked the time—1:30 AM.
After hesitating for a few seconds, she dialed that familiar number.
The phone only rang twice before being picked up, and her brother's voice came through, intentionally lowered but unable to hide his urgency.
"Sis? How are you? Are you okay?"
A barrage of questions hit her, warming Gu Qinghe's heart.
"I'm fine, I'm at the hospital. My fever has gone down." She tried her best to make her voice sound relaxed. "The contract... was also signed."
"Really?" Gu Bai's voice suddenly rose, then quickly lowered again. "That's wonderful!"
"Xiao Bai, tell me honestly, when did you get to know a big shot like Mr. Fang?"
"A big shot?" Gu Bai was stunned for a moment.
"Isn't he?"
Gu Qinghe recalled the details of the evening. "That Zhu Dahai is notoriously difficult in our company records, but as soon as Mr. Fang arrived, he didn't even dare to speak loudly and signed the contract without even looking at it."
"Also, Mr. Fang... he doesn't seem like an ordinary person."
That kind of aura in every movement, that manner of ordering Zhu Dahai around, was definitely not something an ordinary office worker would have.
On the other end of the line, Gu Bai held his phone, standing by the small window of his rented room, looking at the dim streetlights outside.
How should he explain?
Should he say that Fang Ming was Brother Ming from a mysterious Chat Group? That he was the disciple of the Nameless Guide, and someone even a Soldier King mercenary in the Middle East respected?
Not only would his sister not believe these things, but even he himself sometimes felt like it was all a dream.
"Sis, Brother Ming... he's sort of an online friend of mine."
Gu Bai ultimately chose the safest explanation. "I was afraid you were in danger, so I asked him to check on you... As for his identity, it is indeed a bit special... Just don't ask too much. People at Brother Ming's level don't like being disturbed."
He spoke subtly, but Gu Qinghe understood.
Fang Ming's world was not something they could easily touch or understand.
"I understand," she replied softly. "Go to sleep early, don't stay up late reading. I'm taking the flight back the night after tomorrow."
"Okay, Sis, get some rest and remember to take your medicine."
After hanging up, Gu Qinghe held the phone, not moving for a long time.
An online friend?
She thought of Fang Ming's cold yet refined face and couldn't associate it with the term "online friend" at all.
But since Xiao Bai said so, she wouldn't press further.
Everyone has their own secrets. Since he had helped them, she should be grateful rather than prying into everything.
Thinking of this, she put the phone back on the nightstand and lay down again, watching the medicine drip from the IV tube drop by drop, feeling an indescribable sense of relief... The night passed in silence, and the next morning, Fang Ming finally had a good night's sleep.
After getting familiar with the Chat Group during this period, he had a general understanding.
It was true that those guys in the Chat Group were protagonists, but their plots didn't seem to have started yet.
The Soldier King hadn't returned to the country, the Divine Doctor hadn't descended from the mountain, and the Top Student hadn't taken the college entrance exam yet. The current timeline should be before their main plots began.
Moreover, something seemed to have changed in this world, causing the crises around these protagonists to occur ahead of schedule.
Fang Ming couldn't be sure about Gu Qinghe's situation yet, but there was definitely something wrong with the villain, Qin Xiao.
Fortunately, Fang Ming now had the Chat Group as a cheat; otherwise, being caught in this whirlpool, he definitely wouldn't have been able to escape unscathed.
Shaking his head to stop overthinking, he quickly got out of bed, washed up, and went to work.
10:00 AM, the CEO's office on the top floor of the Qin Corporation.
Sunlight poured through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, cutting sharp patches of light onto the polished, mirror-like Italian marble floor.
Fang Ming stood before the large mahogany desk, his back straight and his hands hanging naturally at his sides.
Today, he wore a light gray casual shirt without a tie, the top button undone, his gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses calm and rippleless.
Qin Xiao sat in that leather executive chair that resembled a throne, fiddling with an unlit Cuban cigar. He wasn't looking at Fang Ming but was staring out the window.
"You bumped into Zhao Ruilong at Jinding last night?"
"Yes."
Fang Ming's answer was short and direct, without any embellishment or excuse.
"Why?" Qin Xiao turned around, his curious gaze falling on Fang Ming's face.
"I was in a hurry to get someone to the hospital."
Fang Ming's tone was steady. "A friend of a friend, a woman. She was forced to drink by Zhu Dahai at Jinding and fainted from a high fever. Zhao Ruilong was blocking the only way out. I was carrying her and moved a bit too fast, so I bumped into him."
"A friend of a friend?" Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow. "What friend?"
"The sister of a brother I know from a game." Fang Ming pushed his glasses up, his tone carrying a perfectly measured hint of helplessness. "That brother is a good guy. His sister was on a business trip in Rong City and asked me to look after her. I just didn't expect..."
He spoke naturally because it was the truth, except the 'brother' was Gu Bai from the Chat Group, and looking after Gu Qinghe was both a request from a group member and a task from the Chat Group.
Qin Xiao didn't speak, just quietly watched him.
The office was so quiet that the faint hum of the central air conditioning vents could be heard.
Fang Ming remained unfazed, allowing Qin Xiao to scrutinize him.
He knew that with Qin Xiao's personality and methods, he must have already investigated everything after the incident last night.
He would have checked Gu Qinghe's flight information, her entry and exit records at Jinding, and might have even obtained the hospital's medical records.
Every word he said was true, except he hid the core existence of the Myriad Heavens Mutual Aid Group. Regardless, a woman like Gu Qinghe was not within Qin Xiao's hunting range.
Sure enough, a few seconds later, Qin Xiao suddenly laughed.
It wasn't a happy laugh, but one that was a bit playful and somewhat relieved.
"Alright, I understand."
Qin Xiao threw the cigar back onto the desk, leaned back into his chair, and crossed his hands over his abdomen.
"I'll tell Zhao Ruilong that this was a misunderstanding. You don't need to go and apologize specifically. I know what kind of character that kid has; he probably said something nasty."
Fang Ming bowed slightly. "Thank you, Young Master Qin."
"However..." Qin Xiao changed the subject, his gaze becoming deep. "Fang Ming, lately... you seem a bit different from before."
Fang Ming's heart tightened slightly, but his expression remained unchanged. "What does Young Master Qin mean?"
"In the past, if you encountered something like this, your first reaction would definitely have been to call and ask for my instructions or find Old Ghost and the others to help settle it."
Qin Xiao's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest, the rhythm slow and steady. "Last night, you rushed in yourself, and for the sister of some brother from a game, you didn't hesitate to offend Zhao Ruilong?"
He paused and looked at Fang Ming. "Is it because I've given you more authority and your salary has increased, so... you've grown more confident?"